Billy Barton is allowed to keep a maximum of three neutered ferrets which he uses in his pest control work Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Billy Barton quite likes his nickname.
"They call me the Ferret Man in town.
"It's quite a nice name, I think, as long as I don't smell like one all the time."
A ferret's musky smell is like perfume, he says, but he says it with a deep throaty laugh so he's probably joking.
Barton's three ferrets live quite a comfy life - fed, watered, and treated to the occasional massage in return for hunting out rabbits as part of his pest control team.
In the wild, ferrets are highly destructive and threaten New Zealand's native fauna.
However, they're also fast, feisty, and perfectly shaped to flush another major pest, the rabbit, out of its burrow, and Barton is allowed a limit of three ferrets under strict conditions monitored by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Billy Barton with one of his white shepherds, Evelyn, the rabbit dog, and Brownie, the ferret. Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Barton also has a team of 20 or so dogs, including half a dozen white shepherds.
Each dog has its own specialty when it comes to pests - there's a hedgehog dog, rabbit dogs and feral cat dogs.
They are trained to indicate where the pests are. These are then humanely dispatched or, in the case of cats, identified in case they're someone's pet.
The dogs are also aversion-trained so they don't munch on chickens or chase after threatened species like kiwi and penguin.
Barton is based not far from Lake Hawea in Otago and is kept busy six days a week trapping and ferreting for private landowners, the Department of Conservation, and groups like Forest and Bird as well as dog training and working with other dog handlers.
Karin Bos of Pest Free Banks Peninsula with her pest control dogs Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
He hails from Wales which he represented in rabbiting field sports, spending winter weekends at trials with his ferrets and his dogs.
Rabbiting in Wales was a completely different scene to New Zealand.
"If it's coming up to spring and you catch a rabbit and she's got young in her, you let her go back in Wales because you want to protect your stock."
"If I came home after a day out rabbiting with two rabbits I was chuffed."
In Otago, where rabbits have been running rampant, he can catch 150 in a night.
Trapping feral cats is also a major part of Barton's job although his aim is to spend more time training dogs for pest control and aversion training.
He does have a soft spot for his ferrets. He assesses if they're suitable for work after they're caught in the wild.
They can guard their catch ferociously and he has had quite a few bites dealing with them.
Billy takes care not to get bitten when handling his ferrets Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Barton's "girlies" are always caged unless they're working and they wear a locator collar with a depth indicator so he always knows where they are.
"If she's 16 feet down and won't come out, we're in trouble," Barton says, showing how he whistles to them like a dog.
"You don't want to lose a tool of your trade."
He ends up digging holes sometimes to get the ferrets out because they might have cornered a bunny, had a feast, and decided to take a nap.
"A lot of people think it's easy just to walk along and stick a ferret down and catch rabbits but it takes a lot of dedication."
One of Billy's ferrets has had rabbit for dinner Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Mary Hunt adjusts the purse nets over the rabbit holes Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
One of six white shepherds in Billy Barton's pest control team. Each dog has its own specialty when it comes to pests. Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
